Melghat Tiger Reserve is in the Satpura range of hills in India’s Amravati District of Maharastra state.

Tigers fight (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

Melghat Reserve Forests for Tigers is one of the first Tiger reserves in India. It was declared a Tiger reserve in the year 1973. (In 1967, Melghat Wildlife Sanctuary was created.) Gugarnal National Park, which covers an area of 360 square kilometers, is part of the Melghat Tiger Reserve. Melghat Reserve forests for the Bengali Tigers are spread over 1600 square kilometers.

Tapi River is the major river that flows through the Tiger Reserve. The word Melghat in the Indian language Hindi means ‘ meeting of the Ghats’.  True to its name, unending hills and ravines are part of this magnificent Tiger Reserve.

These areas are rich in flora (with 648 varieties) and fauna. Deciduous forests cover Melghat Wildlife Sanctuary with 41 species of mammals,  24 species of fish, 160 species of reptiles and snakes, and 250 species of birds. Fauna include tiger, jackal, wild-bore sloth bear, sambar, four-horned antelope, leopard, barking deer, blue bull, etc.

Gavilgarh Fort inside the Tiger Reserve is rich in archaeological value, and tourists can also visit that site.

Even though cases of poaching tigers were reported, nature has offered protection to this Tiger Reserve through rugged topography with only a few entry points. There is no tourism activity in the core area of this Tiger Reserve. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body monitoring tiger reserves in India, has agreed to approve a Special Tiger Protection Force ( STPF ) for this tiger reserve.

How Do I Go to Melghat Tiger Reserve?

Melghat Tiger Reserve is accessible by road, train, and flight. Nagpur Airport is 260 kilometers away and is the nearest airport. Badnera Junction, at 124 kilometers distance, is the nearest main railway head. The station code for Badnera Junction for booking tickets at the railway booking website, irctc.co.in, is BD.